‘Bad Weather’, Nanette is acrimonious & unashamed
When I reached out to Nanette in December 2020, I didn’t realize that I she would go on to release Bad Weather, her balmy debut album for every romantic’s broken heart. Supported by Universal Music Group, Nanette’s voice is a breath of fresh air in South Africa’s R&B scene. Past her excellent production, Nanette has a set of pipes that demand to be heard and a musical aptitude that translates artistic gifts into intoxicating music listening experiences.
It’s taken a long time to make peace with my romantic nature. In various relationships, it’s been demonized, resented, and overlooked in favor of my stellar performance of “cool girl.” Thankfully, I’ve traded my Gone Girl performances for being honest about my Jane Austen reading, long and double text sending, ‘you hang up first’ romantic nature. Unfortunately, you can’t grow roses in direct sunlight and extreme heat - and my block is hot. The weather’s bad.
Unlike my bad weather, Nanette’s album debut, Bad Weather unpacks romance’s acrimonious reflections. Growing up with her father during her high school years, Nanette describes being told that one day she would recall her father’s teachings - only for that to be a leading theme in her album. She recalls getting into the dating scene young and by high school found herself in a serious, long-distance relationship.
While her partner turned out to be philandering in the end, she was devout and staunch in her commitment. Interestingly, it was her stepmother who warned her to release herself from the shackles of being a ride or die. However, much like any teenager in love, this lesson was not received in time to limit heartache. Thankfully the relationship didn’t end in vain as it eventually came to serve as the inspiration for “Dream Girl”.
To explain why she repeats the same mistakes in love, Nanette explains, “Once I love, I love deep - so it’s done. Like I’ve made up, in my impulsive, mind that we are going to the grave.” It’s commonly believed that life will deal the same lesson to a person if they haven’t learned from it the first time. “Same Mistakes” sees Nanette reflect on some of the mistakes she kept making, the ones that her stepmother and father often warned her against. For instance, in 2022 she considers her acceptance of unfaithful partners as a mistake. It’s unclear whether that’s still something she’ll continue in the future, but self-awareness is the beginning of the road to enlightenment, at least.
An English tutor of mine once explained a theory about life back in 2015. She said that life consisted of three sects; work, personal and romance. In order to experience a decent life, two of the three sects need to be solid. It comes as no surprise that a romantic encounter could shake someone to their core in the ways that Nanette croons about. “Good Girl Gone Sad” is the anthem of every gorgeous gorgeous girl who fell in love with someone only to find they were alone in love with nothing but their unreciprocated devotion.
Nanette fashioned the naming of her debut EP after the sentiments she considered whenever she’d be left alone when her grandmother worked night shift as a nurse. She hated stormy weather, especially when she was alone to face it. Reviewing past romances and introspecting one’s ugly feelings, is commonplace when the weather isn’t bright or shining. Feelings of regret, sadness, and the like are all to be expected. Not only did Nanette make a brilliant debut as a singer and songwriter, she made space to introspect post-relationship acrimony without embarrassment.
